Yami Bakura's best friend
by Calai'di
Summary: [Complete] So Yami Bakura's looking for the Millennium Items; he's not the only one! But what if the other person is female?
1. Default Chapter

Calai'di- Ok, I don't own Yu-gi-oh or the characters, oh well. This chapter may be short, but the next one will be up as soon as this one. This story is written in two parts, one from Yoshiko's perspective and one from Ryou's, so the next part is a copy of this one, only from Ryou's point of view. No set time period for when this is set, but it's after the gang learns about Yami and Bakura's pasts.

Rating: Whatever the American dub's rating is.

* * * * *

The day hadn't been very good to Yoshiko so far, she woken up late and therefor had to hurry to get ready for school. As a result, she'd forgotten half her homework at home and was still late for school. It was only eight o'clock, but she still had a bad feeling about the day.

"So, why were you late for school?" asked Yoshiko's best friend, Keiko, once they had some free time.

"I was working late so I didn't wake up on time," Yoshiko replied simply. 

"On…?"

"Research."

"And are you going to tell me what this research is?"

"No, not today."

Yoshiko had been doing research for months, and no one, including her parents, knew what it was. She wouldn't tell any one. Said it was "top secret" and "no one would understand." But she was like that, vague and mysterious. The closest anyone could guess was it something ancient that hadn't been heard of for a while, hence why it was taking so long to research.

Yoshiko smiled to herself. She knew what the others thought she was researching, and they were almost right. It was something ancient she was researching, but that something had been heard of recently and there was more than one. Maximillian Pegasus was rumored to have had one, but it had been stolen. Then there was Yugi Motou, the King of Games; he had the Puzzle. That she needed to find, but Yugi seemed to have disappeared lately.

Yoshiko's thoughts were interrupted when the principal came into the classroom leading a boy about her age. She had never seen a more attractive boy in her life; of course, that was just her. The boy was probably albino; he had hair that was pure white, wild and long, and along with his pale skin he definitely made a striking appearance. Dark brown eyes stared shyly out at the classroom, and they almost had a frightened look, like he was hiding something about himself that no one should know. Yoshiko noticed he hadn't had time to read about the school dress code, or get a uniform for that matter, since instead of the required green coat and slacks, he had on blue jeans and an off-white sweater. Yes, she found him attractive, but she very much doubted anyone else did. The classroom was silent as their teacher, Mr. Yokura, introduced the new arrival.

"Class, this is Ryou Bakura. He is a transfer student from Domino High School in Domino City. I'm sure we'll all make him feel quiet welcome here."

That was another thing Yoshiko doubted. From the looks the other students were giving Ryou, she could see they didn't like him very much.

"Ryou, there's and empty seat behind Yoshiko, why don't you go sit there," Mr. Yokura said, and Yoshiko raised her hand so Ryou could find his seat. However, she kept it raised even after the boy had sat down.

"Yes, Miss Sachi?" said the teacher as he called on her.

"I was wondering if I could show Ryou around the school," Yoshiko answered.

"That would be very nice, thank you, Miss Sachi. I'm glad someone is polite enough to welcome Mr. Bakura."

Mr. Yokura went into the next lesson, but not many students were paying attention. Yoshiko noticed a number of her peers were shooting curious glances her way. They were most likely wondering why she had been so quick to offer to be Ryou's guide around the school, but the answer to that was almost as apparent as the question. There was a reason she was called 'Sanity Needed Sachi', she was interested in magic and supernatural phenomena. She was one of those types that believed in UFOs and wormholes, powerful gods and ancient beliefs. No one really liked her, but that was all eight because she didn't really like anyone else. The rest of the class figured Yoshiko and Ryou would get along perfectly, they were two of a kind. Unfortunately, the class didn't know anything about Ryou or they definitely would have thought differently. 

Yoshiko was a better judge of character than her class. She knew there was something different about the new student, but he had such an aura of goodness that she had no idea what it could be. But then there was that small niche in the goodness, the one that was exactly the opposite of Ryou. And by being Ryou's guide, the girl hoped to find out what the niche was.

At lunch time, Yoshiko showed Ryou where all of his classes were, but as they walked along, she became more interested than ever in this mysterious boy. There seemed to be some times when he wasn't even paying attention to where they were going. He seemed preoccupied at those times, like he was having an invisible conversation with an invisible person.

"Thank you for this, Yoshiko," Ryou said near the end of the tour. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't volunteered."

"My pleasure, Ryou," she replied. "Now, what's your last class?"

"Uh, Art with Mr. Kanto."

"Really? That's what I've got! C'mon!"

She almost dragged Ryou to the location of his class, but she was so excited that she couldn't slow down. Having all the same classes with this boy could be a coincidence, but she thought there was something else at work here.

__

Ryou…

Ryou almost collided with Yoshiko as she stopped so suddenly.

"Did you here that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" he questioned.

"That voice; it called your name."

"Oh…I didn't hear anything." 

She was sure she saw a flash of fear dart across those chocolate eyes, but soon he was immersed in his own thoughts, frowning slightly. They continued on in silence to the Art room and then back to the next class they had after lunch. Coincidentally, Ryou sat in front of her in this class, so they took their seats and waited for the rest of the teens. Yoshiko saw Ryou take what looked like a deck of cards out of his pocket and begin to shuffle and systematically place them on the desk face down. After turning one over and studying it, she saw his back go rigid and his hand tremble as he turned another over. Following the turning over of a third card, Ryou turned around in his seat and inspected her through fearful eyes.

"I know we've just met," he started. His voice was trying to sound calm but it still sounded shaky. "But are you, by any chance, looking for the Millennium Items?"

Now it was Yoshiko's turn to look horror-struck. How could this boy whom she had just met, like he'd said, no exactly what she was looking for? That was impossible! No one knew that! It had to have been the cards; he'd only mentioned this after looking at them.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," he said. This guy was even more cautious than she'd thought. He was speaking so timidly you'd think he'd have been hit every time he'd asked that question.

"Yes," she answered, just as cautiously. "How did you know that?"

"The cards, they told me. It's an old fortune telling trick I learn from an old friend. I wondered about you when I came in the classroom, especially when you so quickly volunteered to be my guide around the school. So I asked the cards about you and they appeared like this." Ryou moved in his seat so she could see his desk better. Now she recognized the type of cards they were, Duel Monsters cards. As a side thought, she hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed to learn this school wasn't big on Duel Monsters. But once Ryou began explaining what the cards meant, all of those thoughts went out the window.

"See, this one here, Maha Vailo, represents your past," Ryou explained, pointing to the furthest right card. The cards were arranged in a cross shape, with the right, middle, and top cards turned over. He continued. "It's a spellcaster type, which means you were interested in magic, and it's a light type, too, so you weren't evil. Because of the effect, it shows that for every good thing that happened to you, your self-confidence and mental strength grew stronger. Am I right?"

Yoshiko nodded silently. This boy knew so much, and just from one card!

"What about the next one, Mystic Probe?" she asked.

"That represents the current problems or situations that are affecting you right now. Based on the last card and the name of this one I figured you're looking for something magical. The picture is of an ancient tablet so that something is also ancient. That brings up a few things, but because of the current events, with Kaiba's tournament going on, I assumed this meant you're looking for the Millennium Items. I was right wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were," she responded. What was with this guy? Everything he was saying was accurate, but they had just met a few hours ago. Either he had been very well trained or he actually was psychic. She asked him to continue.

"The last card I turned over, the Soul of Purity and Light, is always a card I get to represent myself in readings. So that's probably what it means here-myself. This position is the person or people that are affecting your present situation. I'll have to explain about how I come in later, in a more private place."

"So what about the two you haven't turned over yet?"

"The bottom represents you right now." He turned it over. "Ancient Elf, another spellcaster, which only confirms the other two 'present' cards. Then the last one-" he turned it over- "represents your future if all three 'present' cards are combined."

Ryou stared cautiously at the last card, then after a few moments drew another card and placed it face up to the left of the Soul of Purity and Light card. From his expression, Yoshiko could tell the reading was not something Ryou had wanted.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He looked even more fearful than before, if that was possible.

"The last two cards. This one-" he pointed to the first card he'd had on the left- "the Possessed Dark Soul, means something will happen that will make you somewhat evil or possessed. Then the last card I put down, Dark Spirit of the Silent, confirms that, and I think I know what spirit this is talking about. I'll explain later," he said as students started to file into the room. Quickly, Ryou collected the cards, combined them with the deck, and stuffed the cards into his pocket. Yoshiko was relieved to see that none of the students had noticed them. Then a note appeared on her desk. Instantly, she hid the note under the desk and read it.

Yoshiko-

I guess this is the third time I've thanked you for showing me around. Meet me after school by the front gate and I'll explain about the last two cards in your reading. See ya then, and be prepared for anything,

-Ryou


	2. Moving May be a Good Thing

Calai'di- Don't own Yu-gi-oh, characters, or plot line. This is from Ryou's point of view, so the story's the same. Ryou Bakura is "Ryou", Yami Bakura is "Bakura".

thoughts- /Ryou to Bakura/

//Bakura to Ryou//

Rating: same as previous.

* * * * *

"I can't believe we had to move again," complained Ryou Bakura as he walked to his new school, Clearwood High.

"We wouldn't have had to leave Domino if you hadn't made such a fuss about what I was doing," answered his yami, Bakura.

"Well, why did you think you could get the Millennium Items? You've never beaten Yami in a duel."

"I almost had that duel won! But Yami is a dark so he didn't seem to have a problem killing you if it meant getting further in the finals. Sometimes I wonder why I saved you from that attack."

"I'm glad you did, yami. Thank you."

"Don't start getting mushy on me. Believe me, if I had had a choice I would have let you get attacked!"

"Oh! You have to leave now, yami, we're at school."

"I'll be watching you," Bakura answered and disappeared. Ryou entered the talking, laughing, joyful crowd of teens jostling into the building. He broke off from them as he reached the office, entered, and sat down. He was soon talking with the principal, explaining whom he was, and apologizing for not informing to school he'd be going there now. It took two hours for his papers to be filed and sorted, so he felt bad when the principal took him down to Mr. Yokura's room.

/I wish I could have stayed in Domino/

//It's your fault we left you know. I'm not happy about it either. Domino has always been a hot spot for the Millennium Items.//

They entered a classroom and the principal began to explain to Mr. Yokura about the new student.

/At least I had friends in Domino. Yugi was really supportive, though that might've been because he had the Puzzle./

//Well look out, because I think I see a potential friend right now.//

/Where?/

//Furthest row from us, three seats back.//

Ryou looked and saw a girl that was watching him intently. She was actually quiet pretty, with lavender hair partially in a ponytail and partially hanging down her back. Sea green eyes blinked in surprise as she realized he was watching her. A necklace with a silver pentagram hung from her neck onto a purple blouse. Silver bangles, earrings, and a ring completed the look. Then he felt the teacher's hand on his shoulder as he was introduced to the class.

"Class, this is Ryou Bakura. He is a transfer student from Domino High School in Domino City. I'm sure we'll all make him feel quiet welcome here."

Ryou was somewhat doubtful of that last statement. The girl his yami had pointed out was the only student that seemed to be paying him much attention. At least the rest of his peers were polite enough to keep quiet while he was up here.

"Ryou, there's and empty seat behind Yoshiko, why don't you go sit there," Mr. Yokura said, and the girl that had been staring at him raised her hand so Ryou could find his seat. But even as he sat down, the girl had kept her hand raised trying to attract the teacher's attention.

"Yes, Miss Sachi?" said the teacher as he called on her.

"I was wondering if I could show Ryou around the school," Yoshiko answered.

"That would be very nice, thank you, Miss Sachi. I'm glad someone is polite enough to welcome Mr. Bakura."

Mr. Yokura went into the next lesson, but not many students were paying attention, including Ryou. He was very interested in this Yoshiko and why she'd been so quick to volunteer to be his guide around the school. Then there was the feeling he got as he sat behind her. It was a familiar feeling, like of someone keeping a secret, someone like him. He glanced around and noticed some of the other students were shooting curious glances his way. He wondered if they were watching him, or the girl, or both.

He could tell the girl, Yoshiko was it?, was the type of person he'd get along with. She looked smart, funny, pretty; they'd get along just fine. What worried him was why his yami had been so quick to point her out. He could sense her aura was mostly good, but that part that he sensed was evil could easily grow if given the right tools. Bakura was definitely the type of person that would try to enlarge that evil if given a chance. The two of them shouldn't get together.

At lunch time, Yoshiko showed Ryou where all of his classes were, but as they walked along, Ryou didn't pay much attention. He was to busy trying to keep his yami from possessing him again.

/Go and…think of ways to beat Yugi or something like that! Just leave me alone!/

//That's not what I do in my soul room. I want to talk to her.//

/No! You'll just mess things up like always./

//Ryou!//

"Thank you for this, Yoshiko," Ryou said near the end of the tour, purposefully ignoring Bakura. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't volunteered."

"My pleasure, Ryou," she replied. "Now, what's your last class?"

"Uh, Art with Mr. Kanto."

"Really? That's what I've got! C'mon!"

She almost dragged Ryou to the location of his class, and he could tell she was really excited. But she wasn't that only one who was excited, so was Bakura once he learned the two had all the same classes.

__

Ryou…

Ryou almost collided with Yoshiko as she stopped so suddenly. But she wasn't the only one who was startled; why would Bakura call out loud like that? Unless he was trying to get her attention…

"Did you here that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" he questioned, trying to sound innocent.

"That voice; it called your name."

"Oh…I didn't hear anything."

Ryou quickly got her to continue walking, and immersed himself with scolding Bakura.

/Yami!/

//That was fun.//

/You don't need to get her attention, and you don't need to possess me!/

//All right! I'll stop for now.//

Ryou and Yoshiko continued until they got to their next class. Coincidentally, Ryou sat in front of her in this class, so they took their seats and waited for the rest of the teens. Ryou took a deck of cards out of his pocket and began to shuffle and systematically place them on the desk face down. After turning one over and studying it, his went rigid and his hand trembled as he turned another over. Following the turning over of a third card, Ryou turned around in his seat and inspected her through fearful eyes.

"I know we've just met," he started. He was trying to sound calm but his voice still sounded shaky. "But are you, by any chance, looking for the Millennium Items?"

He watched Yoshiko's eyes grew wide with fear and he knew he'd said something wrong. Maybe he should have just kept to himself, like always and not have mentioned anything.

"Yes," she answered cautiously. "How did you know that?"

"The cards, they told me. It's an old fortune telling trick I learn from an old friend. I wondered about you when I came in the classroom, especially when you so quickly volunteered to be my guide around the school. So I asked the cards about you and they appeared like this." Ryou moved in his seat so she could see his desk better. "See, this one here, Maha Vailo, represents your past," Ryou explained, pointing to the furthest right card. The cards were arranged in a cross shape, with the right, middle, and top cards turned over. He continued. "It's a spellcaster type, which means you were interested in magic, and it's a light type, too, so you weren't evil. Because of the effect, it shows that for every good thing that happened to you, your self-confidence and mental strength grew stronger. Am I right?"

Yoshiko nodded silently.

"What about the next one, Mystic Probe?" she asked.

"That represents the current problems or situations that are affecting you right now. Based on the last card and the name of this one I figured you're looking for something magical. The picture is of an ancient tablet so that something is also ancient. That brings up a few things, but because of the current events, with Kaiba's tournament going on, I assumed this meant you're looking for the Millennium Items. I was right wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were," she responded. The fear and mistrust were growing on her face. She asked him to continue.

"The last card I turned over, the Soul of Purity and Light, is always a card I get to represent myself in readings. So that's probably what it means here-myself. This position is the person or people that are affecting your present situation. I'll have to explain about how I come in later, in a more private place."

"So what about the two you haven't turned over yet?"

"The bottom represents you right now." He turned it over. "Ancient Elf, another spellcaster, which only confirms the other two 'present' cards. Then the last one-" he turned it over- "represents your future if all three 'present' cards are combined."

Ryou stared cautiously at the last card, then after a few moments drew another card and placed it face up to the left of the Soul of Purity and Light card. This wasn't good. These two cards were spelling doom for Yoshiko. He noticed she was staring at him intently.

"What's wrong?" she asked. 

"The last two cards. This one-" he pointed to the first card he'd had on the left- "the Possessed Dark Soul, means something will happen that will make you somewhat evil or possessed. Then the last card I put down, Dark Spirit of the Silent, confirms that, and I think I know what spirit this is talking about. I'll explain later," he said as students started to file into the room. Quickly, Ryou collected the cards, combined them with the deck, and stuffed the cards into his pocket. As he glanced around, he wondered if anyone here played Duel Monsters, besides the obvious Yoshiko, but they didn't seem like the type of people who would be into that kind of thing. Not like Yugi and Joey and their friends, not like him. Hastily, he wrote a note to Yoshiko before the teacher came in; he didn't know what rules this school had about notes.

Yoshiko-

I guess this is the third time I've thanked you for showing me around. Meet me after school by the front gate and I'll explain about the last two cards in your reading. See ya then, and be prepared for anything,

-Ryou

He tossed it over his shoulder and prayed it would land on her desk. Then he sat back, relinquished partial control to his yami, since he knew Bakura had thing for Social Studies, and waited for the day to be over.


	3. The Ring

Calai'di- Well, didn't expect that many responses to this, thank you! Again, Yoshiko's perspective, next is Ryou's; it'll go on like that for the rest of the story. Some implied violence, not much, maybe a few offensive words to some people, same rating as before.

* * * * *

__

Yoshiko-

I guess this is the third time I've thanked you for showing me around. Meet me after school by the front gate and I'll explain about the last two cards in your reading. See ya then, and be prepared for anything,

-Ryou

* * * * *

'Be prepared for anything'. She wondered what that meant. The rest of the day sped by and after the last bell Yoshiko gathered her stuff and herself and went out to meet with Ryou. She found him right where he'd said he'd be, and when she got there he led her to a café. They found a table, ordered some drinks, and Ryou began to explain about the cards.

"So, what did those last two cards mean, Ryou. Why did you look so scared when you saw them?"

"First I have to show you something," he answered. He put his hands up to his chest like he was going to summon something. Then he began to hum softly and a large golden pendent emerged through his shirt. It was a large ring with a triangle in the middle, and the triangle had a large Egyptian-like eye on it. Five spikes hung off the circle, two from each side and one from the bottom. It hung from his neck on a brown cord, which allowed it to move freely so that the spikes jingled when he moved and even when he didn't move.

"This is the Millennium Ring, one of the Millennium Items. And before you ask, no you can't have it. Anyway, the spirit of a three thousand-year-old Egyptian tomb robber resides in it and he's also looking for the Millennium Items. I think he's the spirit your last card was talking about; he's going to affect your future, but hopefully it doesn't mean he'll force me to give you the Ring so that he'll possess you instead of me, like the Possessed Dark Soul suggests. He doesn't like me very much since I don't care about finding the Millennium Items, but I'm sure he'd like you a lot."

"Well, you're right about that at least," said a voice from beside Yoshiko. She almost cried out in alarm; the person sitting there hadn't been sitting there moments earlier. When she'd calmed down a little she could take a good look at the boy sitting next to her. He could have been Ryou's older brother except that he was completely transparent, and the evil smirk he was wearing didn't seem to fit anyone that could have been related to her friend. His eyes were narrower, more villainous, and much more mischievous and insane. For some odd reason, she instantly liked him, the same way she'd instantly liked Ryou, and though she'd thought there couldn't have possibly been anyone else in the world more attractive than Ryou, here he was sitting next to her.

"Yoshiko, this is Bakura, the spirit I told you about. Bakura, this is-"

"The girl who wants the Millennium Items; I know," Bakura finished for him. That voice… that was the one she'd heard while showing Ryou his classrooms. Though it sounded heartless and unyielding, there was a small sadness that made her wonder. And then there was the unmistakable British accent that Ryou had; though it wasn't as pronounced, maybe because he was Egyptian.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bakura," she said holding out her hand. The boy took it briefly saying, "The pleasure is mine."

They sat there staring at each other for a few moments until Yoshiko broke the silence.

"So, you're looking for the Millennium Items, too?"

"No, not 'looking', I already know where all but two of them are. My problem is winning them. I've lost to Yugi twice and Marik once, but I did beat Pegasus. I got the Millennium Eye from him." Bakura ordered Ryou to give him the Eye and then he allowed Yoshiko to hold it. She examined it carefully; it was about the size of an eyeball and had an eye symbol on it like the Ring did. Light flashed off it innocently though she doubted that was its nature. She gave it back to him.

"Wow, _two_ Millennium Items? How does this one work?"

"The Eye can put people's souls into inanimate objects, like the Ring, and it can read minds."

"What about the Ring; what does that do?"

"The Ring can locate other Items, that's its main power. Here, I'll show you. Go hide this." He handed her the Eye and she ran off to obey. Out the door, down an alley, and back behind a pile of boxes it went, but to make sure they didn't cheat, she didn't go that way at first. Beforehand, she wandered around some, back and forth, up and down, in and out a different door. Finally she came back and was surprised to see that Bakura was no longer transparent and it was Ryou that was spirit-like. Bakura was much more attractive this way, and she found herself half thinking they would stay like this.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"Shhh," Bakura answered. He held the Ring out parallel to the floor and whispered a few words. Instantly, it began to glow and the two left side spikes pointed straight out to the left. As he turned, all of the spikes raised and pointed directly ahead. He walked slowly in the direction the Ring was showing, and as he got to the door out of the café, the Ring pointed left again. The Item led him on like this until they were in an alley and Bakura found the Eye behind a pile of boxes.

"That was so cool!" Yoshiko exclaimed. "What else can it do?"

"I can also summon real monsters from Duel Monster cards," answered Bakura. "Would you like to see?"

"Sure!"

"All right, but my deck was meant to scare people, not to do demonstrations."

"In that case, here." Yoshiko pulled a deck of cards out of her pocket and handed them to Bakura. She watched as he looked through her deck. He handled the cards so carefully with so much respect. But shortly, he returned them saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't use these."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's a thing Yugi calls 'the Heart of the Cards,' but it's more like only being able to use cards familiar to you. Don't worry, I won't pick a really sinister card to demonstrate with."

"Okay then," Yoshiko said apprehensively, "go ahead."

Bakura pulled out his own deck, selected a card from it, and threw it out in front of him.

"I summon Sangan to this plane!" he declared. "Come forth my creature!"

The Ring glowed again and a beach-ball sized, brown, fluffy creature with three yellow, cat-like eyes materialized in the air where the card had last been. It had four green limbs with silver claws and jagged teeth in a large mouth.

"Cute!" Yoshiko exclaimed. "Can I pet it?"

"Only if you want your arms pulled out and your heart devoured," Bakura answered. Yoshiko cringed. Well, for a hottie, Bakura sure was gruesome, but she could live with that. He seemed to get along with Ryou okay, so as long as Ryou was still around, she'd be okay with Bakura.

"Sangan, return!" The fluff-ball disappeared and a card flew back into Bakura's hand.

"So, anything else?"

"Yes, yami, is there anything _else_ you would like to show our friend?" Ryou said bitterly. Bakura turned and glared at him with just as much bitterness in his eyes.

"You stay out of this. Even you don't know everything this Item does."

"Then why don't you enlighten us?"

"Yes, Bakura, why don't you enlighten us," came a laughing voice from the shadows. Yoshiko turned to see whom the voice had come from. It seemed Ryou knew who it was, because he said with confusion, "Yami?"

The owner of that deep, chuckling voice stepped out of the shadows followed by a shorter, almost mirror image of himself. These two boys were two of the strangest people she had ever seen. The first, the one she thought was called Yami, had very tall, spiky hair, jet-black at first, then crimson at the tips. Golden yellow intertwined with the black and red, jutting up from his head like lightning bolts, and saffron strands framed his smiling, but crafty, face. Sparkling ruby red eyes laughed at them, but behind the amusement they were bold and defiant, accustomed to hardship; they could turn pitiless and unfeeling within seconds. He donned pitch-black clothes, a double belt, about five gold and silver bangles on each bare arm, and a dark cobalt jacket on his shoulders like a cape so it flared out behind him. Each boy wore a sort of belt around his neck, from which hung a large, golden, inverted pyramid pendent, which had the Millennium Item symbol on it, on a heavy chain.

As the smaller boy stepped from the shadows, Yoshiko could see that he was incorporeal, like Ryou at the moment; so one of them must be a spirit of a Millennium Item, which was probably the pyramid pendant they shared. This boy's hair was like his other's, except that there were no streaks in it; instead, one of his yellow bangs hung before his face. The red eyes had grown purplish in color, and they were gentler and more forgiving than the other boy's were, though they had seen their share of pain and suffering. He wore cobalt blue clothes, like a school uniform, and was absent of all the ornaments Yami wore. 

"What are you doing here, Pharaoh?" Bakura hissed warningly.

"I was wondering where you disappeared to, tomb robber." answered Yami. "Guess you two had to move again. Was it because of all the soulless bodies in Domino? Or was it because you'd done so much damage already that you needed a fresh city to reek havoc on?"

"How about neither? We had to move because my stupid hikari couldn't keep his mouth shut about my plans. We're lucky we didn't end up in one of those mental health correction facilities, or whatever the hell they're called."

This last remark seemed to amuse Yami even more because he went into a fit of silent laughter. Yoshiko didn't understand why Bakura was talking to Yami with such hostility in his voice or why Yami found it funny. If Bakura had been talking to her like that, she'd be running the other way as fast as she could, especially because of what she knew now. Yami sure wasn't acting like a yami; 'yami' meant 'dark' and 'dark' generally meant 'evil,' but Yami was wasn't acting evil or wicked; he was acting cheerful and good. This was very confusing to her.

"Hey, Yami, why _did_ we come here?" asked the other boy. Yoshiko realized she didn't know his name yet.

"Exactly the reason I said, Yugi. I was wondering where Bakura went to, so I followed him here. I didn't want him to leave Domino, but now he's over stepped his boundaries. I know it probably wasn't his fault, but I don't know what to do with him. I want him where I can keep an eye on him."

Yoshiko was amazed at how fast Yami could change his demeanor, a second ago he'd been laughing and joking around, but now he was acting regal and arrogant. 

"And why would you want to keep an I eye on me? To keep me from building my own kingdom perhaps? I already have one follower," Bakura said, wrapping his arm around Yoshiko. Every single other person present gasped in shock; that was a very affectionate move coming from Bakura. "So, Pharaoh, you can have Domino, I get Clearwood, agreed?"

"Heh, afraid not, Thief King, since I'm withdrawing your status as a 'king'; therefor you can't have a kingdom."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh I can and I will. I'd like you to return Ryou's body to him so he can explain to his father that you two have to move back to Domino. If he encounters any problems his father can talk to me and I'll explain it in his terms. Understand?"

"Of course I understand, _Pharaoh_, I understand perfectly. That doesn't mean I have to obey. Ryou, we're leaving! Let Pharaoh-boy and his loyal servant to their dreams; I don't have to adhere to their rules!" Bakura released Yoshiko and began to walk out of the alley.

"Bakura! Stop right there!" The Millennium Item symbol had appeared on Yami's forehead, golden and luminous, and his hair had started to act like a fire. Yoshiko could tell something was wrong because Bakura froze mid-step, Yugi was shrinking back into the shadows, and Ryou was hurrying her back against a wall, leaving the path between the two yamis clear.

"What's going on," she whispered to Ryou.

"Shhh, keep clear and watch. I don't want you to get hurt," he answered.

Bakura turned around slowly, chuckling quietly, raising the volume until his quiet snickering became maniac laughter.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked through his psychopathic laughter. "You don't even know how to use your Millennium Puzzle, and you're challenging me?"

"That's right. I'm challenging you…do you accept, or are you to much of a coward?"

"You will rue those words, Pharaoh. I accept your challenge, but we'll do it my way…real monsters, real magic. Deal?"

"You're on, Bakura."


	4. Help, they like each other

Calai'di-

__

Yoshiko-

I guess this is the third time I've thanked you for showing me around. Meet me after school by the front gate and I'll explain about the last two cards in your reading. See ya then, and be prepared for anything,

-Ryou

* * * * *

Once the Art class was dismissed, Ryou quickly got his homework materials and ran out to wait be the front gate of the school. After a short time, Yoshiko showed up and he led her to a café. There, they found a somewhat secluded table, ordered some drinks, and relaxed until Ryou began to explain about the last two cards.

"So, what did those last two cards mean, Ryou. Why did you look so scared when you saw them?"

"First I have to show you something," he answered. He put his hands up to his chest like he was going to summon something. Then he began to hum softly and a golden pendent emerged through his shirt. It was a large ring with a triangle in the middle, and the triangle had a large Egyptian-like eye on it. Five spikes hung off the circle, two from each side and one from the bottom. It hung from his neck on a brown cord, which allowed it to move freely so that the spikes jingled when he moved and even when he didn't move.

"This is the Millennium Ring, one of the Millennium Items. And before you ask, no you can't have it. Anyway, the spirit of a three thousand-year-old Egyptian tomb robber resides in it and he's also looking for the Millennium Items. I think he's the spirit your last card was talking about; he's going to affect your future, but hopefully it doesn't mean he'll force me to give you the Ring so that he'll possess you instead of me, like the Possessed Dark Soul suggests. He doesn't like me very much since I don't care about finding the Millennium Items, but I'm sure he'd like you a lot."

"Well, you're right about that at least," said a voice from beside Yoshiko. Ryou looked up in surprise at the transparent form of his yami, sitting smugly to the right of his friend. He could tell Yoshiko was twice as startled as he was, but that was to be expected; most people aren't used to spirits showing up out of no where right beside them, but he hadn't been part of that 'most people' group for a while. But then he also noticed that, once she'd calmed down, Yoshiko was admiring Bakura extensively, or more accurately, they were admiring each other. Bakura seemed to like Yoshiko quite a bit. Oh gods, why did _those_ two have to get together? Well, might as well make the best of it.

"Yoshiko, this is Bakura, the spirit I told you about. Bakura, this is-"

"The girl who wants the Millennium Items; I know," Bakura finished for him. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her for the whole time he'd been sitting there, and Ryou was worried. His yami had never acted like this before.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bakura," she said holding out her hand. The boy took it briefly saying, "The pleasure is mine."

They sat there staring at each other for a few moments until Yoshiko broke the silence.

"So, you're looking for the Millennium Items, too?"

"No, not 'looking', I already know where all but two of them are. My problem is winning them. I've lost to Yugi twice and Marik once, but I did beat Pegasus. I got the Millennium Eye from him." Bakura ordered Ryou to give him the Eye, and then he allowed Yoshiko to hold it. Ryou was becoming more and more shocked every second. Bakura had never talked about his losses like this before, and even Yami hadn't known they had the Eye. And then, Ryou wasn't supposed to touch the Eye, and now his yami was letting this girl in on all of their secrets. How could this possibly get any worse?

"Wow, _two_ Millennium Items? How does this one work?"

That's how it could get worse. 

"The Eye can put people's souls into inanimate objects, like the Ring, and it can read minds."

"What about the Ring; what does that do?"

"The Ring can locate other Items, that's its main power. Here, I'll show you. Go hide this." He handed her the Eye and she ran off to obey.

//Hikari, I'll have to possess your body for this demonstration.//

/One demonstration, right…right?/

//Actually, I was thinking of three…//

/Three?/

//Or more.//

/You're not trapping me in a card again./

//All right, I won't do that one.//

/Why are you so keen on showing her this stuff?/

Bakura didn't answer and instead, promptly possessed Ryou's body. The next thing he knew, Ryou was looking down through his arm to the table and shuttered. He should be used to this by now, but being a spirit was still creepy.

Yoshiko looked shocked when she came back. Obviously, she was confused about Ryou being transparent and Bakura having the body, but the hikari could tell she liked his yami even more this way. No, this could not end well.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"Shhh," Bakura answered. He held the Ring out parallel to the floor and whispered a few words. Instantly, it began to glow and the two left side spikes pointed straight out to the left. As he turned, all of the spikes raised and pointed directly ahead. He walked slowly in the direction the Ring was showing, and as he got to the door out of the café, the Ring pointed left again. The Item led him on like this until they were in an alley and Bakura found the Eye behind a pile of boxes.

"That was so cool!" Yoshiko exclaimed. "What else can it do?"

"I can also summon real monsters from Duel Monster cards," answered Bakura. "Would you like to see?"

"Sure!"

"All right, but my deck was meant to scare people, not to do demonstrations."

"In that case, here." Yoshiko pulled a deck of cards out of her pocket and handed them to Bakura. He looked through them briefly; Ryou could sense the excitement in his other's mind, but it was combined with annoyance and, somehow, gratitude. Bakura gave them back to Yoshiko saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't use these."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's a thing Yugi calls 'the Heart of the Cards,' but it's more like only being able to use cards familiar to you. Don't worry, I won't pick a really sinister card to demonstrate with."

"Okay then," Yoshiko said apprehensively, "go ahead."

Bakura pulled out his own deck, selected a card from it, and threw it out in front of him.

"I summon Sangan to this plane!" he declared. "Come forth my creature!" 

The Ring glowed again and a beach-ball sized, nut-brown, fluffy creature with three yellow, cat-like eyes materialized in the air where the card had last been. It had four green limbs with silver claws and jagged teeth in a large mouth.

"Cute!" Yoshiko exclaimed. "Can I pet it?"

"Only if you want your arms pulled out and your heart devoured," Bakura answered. Ryou was starting to get anxious. It wasn't the Sangan; he'd seen Bakura summon more sinister, adverse monsters than he could count. What he was worried about was Yoshiko. He was sure anyone who thought Sangan was 'cute' would be thought of as a worthy accomplice by Bakura. Those two did not need to be allies; they shouldn't have even met. Ryou could feel his world collapsing into oblivion.

"Sangan, return!" The fluff-ball disappeared and a card flew back into Bakura's hand.

"So, anything else?"

"Yes, yami, is there anything else you would like to show our friend?" Ryou said bitterly. Bakura turned and glared at him with just as much bitterness in his eyes.

"You stay out of this. Even you don't know everything this Item does."

"Then why don't you enlighten us?"

"Yes, Bakura, why don't you enlighten us," came a laughing voice from the shadows. Ryou recognized that voice; that was the voice of-

"Yami?"

The owner of that deep, chuckling voice stepped out of the shadows, and it was all Ryou could do to keep from running over and hugging his old friend. The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, Yami, was standing there laughing softly at Bakura, and Yugi Motou, Yami's hikari, was standing, still half in the shadows, behind him. Yoshiko looked surprised to see these two newcomers, but Bakura was beside himself, literally and figuratively. 

"What are you doing here, Pharaoh?" Bakura hissed warningly.

"I was wondering where you disappeared to, tomb robber." answered Yami. "Guess you two had to move again. Was it because of all the soulless bodies in Domino? Or was it because you'd done so much damage already that you needed a fresh city to reek havoc on?"

"How about neither? We had to move because my stupid hikari couldn't keep his mouth shut about my plans. We're lucky we didn't end up in one of those mental health correction facilities, or whatever the hell they're called."

This last remark seemed to amuse Yami even more because he went into a fit of silent laughter. Ryou blushed in the darkness of the alley. It _was_ because of him that they'd moved here, but he'd been disturbed about every thing Bakura had been doing. The yami had stabbed his own arm just to help with Marik's plan so he could get the Millennium Items; Ryou hadn't been sure what the dark would do next. Ryou'd been close to submitting himself to a mental hospital just to make sure Bakura didn't hurt anyone else. But in the end, Bakura had convinced him not to do that; however Ryou persuaded his father that they had to move to some other city for both of their protection.

"Hey, Yami, why _did_ we come here?" asked Yugi.

"Exactly the reason I said, Yugi. I was wondering where Bakura went to, so I followed him here. I didn't want him to leave Domino, and now he's over stepped his boundaries. I know it probably wasn't his fault, but I don't know what to do with him. I want him where I can keep an eye on him."

Ryou had seen this happen before, but it surprised him every time. Yami was laughing and joking one minute, serious and arrogant the next.

"And why would you want to keep an I eye on me? To keep me from building my own kingdom perhaps? I already have one follower," Bakura said, wrapping his arm around Yoshiko. Every single other person present gasped in shock; that was a very affectionate move coming from Bakura. "So, Pharaoh, you can have Domino, I get Clearwood, agreed?"

"Heh, afraid not, Thief King, since I'm withdrawing your status as a 'king'; therefor you can't have a kingdom."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh I can and I will. I'd like you to return Ryou's body to him so he can explain to his father that you two have to move back to Domino. If he encounters any problems his father can talk to me and I'll explain it in his terms. Understand?"

"Of course I understand, _Pharaoh_, I understand perfectly. That doesn't mean I have to obey. Ryou, we're leaving! Let Pharaoh-boy and his loyal servant to their dreams; I don't have to adhere to their rules!" Bakura released Yoshiko and began to walk out of the alley. Ryou was about to follow him, if Bakura's temper got any worse, he'd probably spend all night robbing people's houses, but one look at Yami and he froze in his tracks.

"Bakura! Stop right there!" The Millennium Item symbol had appeared on Yami's forehead, golden and luminous, and his hair had started to act like a fire. Noticing the tension between them, Ryou hurried Yoshiko back against a wall, leaving the path between the two yamis clear.

"What's going on," she whispered to Ryou.

"Shhh, keep clear and watch. I don't want you to get hurt," he answered. He stared fearfully at his yami. It was a good thing Ryou did not carry a superb pocketknife, because at times like this, Bakura would make use of it.

Bakura turned around slowly, chuckling quietly, raising the volume until his quiet snickering became maniac laughter.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked through his psychopathic laughter. "You don't even know how to use your Millennium Puzzle, and you're challenging _me_?"

"That's right. I'm challenging you…do you accept, or are you to much of a coward?"

"You will rue those words, Pharaoh. I accept your challenge, but we'll do it my way…real monsters, real magic. Deal?"

"You're on, Bakura."


	5. The dueling monsters

Calai'di-Sorry, this and the next chapter are rather short, but that's how my spacing went, and the last time I wrote a full duel no one reviewed on it. Hope you like this; it'll be a different ending than I was first thing of, but it works. A bit more violence, so the rating's more like PG-7. Whatever…

* * * * *

"Go Headless Knight!" Bakura exclaimed, throwing a card out. Yoshiko gasped. A full suit of Knight's armor took shape in front of Bakura, but the armor didn't have a body; it was just armor, and it could move.

"Go Alpha the Magnet Warrior! Destroy his Knight!" 

Again, a very strange monster appeared on the field. She'd been playing Duel Monsters for a very long time, but the monsters looked a lot different when they were real. Bakura was right about one thing though; his deck could be scary if used the right way.

"All right, I summon the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams!"

"Go Gazelle the Mythical King of Beasts, attack his ghost! Alpha, attack him directly!"

The two went on like this for quite so time; Yami never managed to get more than one attack through to Bakura before the latter summoned another monster. But in the end, Bakura had been attacked enough times that he was kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. Yoshiko gazed at him worriedly. She had a feeling one more hit would probably cause a considerable amount of damage to his body, and Bakura didn't have any monsters on the field. Bakura was struggling to his feet, muttering something like, "Stupid Pharaoh, how dare you try to beat me? How did you learn to use the Puzzle? If ever get my hands on you…"

"So, do you give up Bakura?" came Yami's voice. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you insist…"

"You're a sorry excuse for a yami, Pharaoh. Are you protecting Yugi back there, or Ryou?"

"You've protected Ryou before," Yami answered quietly. "And I think you should protect him again. Are you going to play any monsters, thief?"

"Yes, go Earthbound Spirits, defensive mode!"

"Is that your only option? Well then, I summon the Dark Magician Girl by sacrificing Alpha the Magnet Warrior, and because of her effect, she is 300 points stronger since I have a Dark Magician on the field. Now Dark Magician Girl, destroy his Earthbound Spirits!"

It was a good thing Bakura had played his monster in defensive mode, or he'd probably be unconscious now. As it was, he was on the ground again, and feelings of pain and distress were showing on his face. Yoshiko watched him in agony. She had to do something, or he might get killed.

"Do you give up yet?"

"You wish."

"Than you give me no choice. I hate to do this, Bakura. Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!"

In a split-second decision, Yoshiko raced past Ryou and onto the field into the line of fire. And it did feel like fire when the attack hit, a bitingly cold fire that surged through her body, driving away ever thought and emotion she had. Her world plunged into darkness and she fell to the ground.


	6. Yami's mistake

Calai'di- He he, I had more fun writing this half. A bit of implied yaoi. PG-7

"Go Headless Knight!" Bakura exclaimed, throwing a card out. A full suit of Knight's armor took shape in front of Bakura, but the armor didn't have a body; it was just armor, but it could move.

"Go Alpha the Magnet Warrior! Destroy his Knight!"

"All right, I summon the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams!"

"Go Gazelle the Mythical King of Beasts, attack his ghost! Alpha, attack him directly!"

The two went on like this for quite so time; Yami never managed to get more than one attack through to Bakura before the latter summoned another monster. But in the end, Bakura had been attacked enough times that he was kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. Ryou knew one more hit would probably cause a considerable amount of damage to their body, and Bakura didn't have any monsters on the field.

/Yami, if you go one with this anymore, you'll get hurt…/

//Don't you think I know that? I'm not losing to this bastard again!//

/You've already lost; I know it, the Pharaoh knows it, and you know it. You don't need to hurt yourself any more./

//Shut up! Who's side are you on?//

/Yours, of course-/

//So why don't you leave me be? I'll manage!//

Ryou sighed. Bakura was so stubborn; he just didn't know when to give up. But if Bakura wanted to be left alone, he was left alone. Ryou knew his place in their partnership; he was the hikari, patient, merciful, and never to contradict Bakura.

His yami was struggling to his feet, muttering something like, "Stupid Pharaoh, how dare you try to beat me? How did you learn to use the Puzzle? If ever get my hands on you…"

"So, do you give up Bakura?" came Yami's voice. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you insist…"

"You're a sorry excuse for a yami, Pharaoh. Are you protecting Yugi back there, or Ryou?"

"You've protected Ryou before," Yami answered quietly. "And I think you should protect him again. Are you going to play any monsters, thief?"

"Yes, go Earthbound Spirits, defensive mode!"

"Is that your only option? Well then, I summon the Dark Magician Girl by sacrificing Alpha the Magnet Warrior, and because of her effect, she is 300 points stronger since I have a Dark Magician on the field. Now Dark Magician Girl, destroy his Earthbound Spirits!"

It was a good thing Bakura had played his monster in defensive mode, or he'd probably be unconscious now. As it was, he was on the ground again, and feelings of pain and distress were coming through their mind-link. Ryou wished he could do something, but he wasn't about to do what he wanted in front of Yugi and Yami.

"Do you give up yet?"

"You wish."

"Than you give me no choice. I hate to do this, Bakura. Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!"

A body dashed past Ryou and out in front of Bakura before he could do anything. The air grew still as the Magician's attack hit the figure, but it didn't scream or even make a sound. The only sound that was heard after Yami's order was that of two bodies hitting the ground, one after the other.


	7. Death is only the begining

Calai'di-This last chapter is from Ryou's point of view. It contains a little yaoi, emotional disturbances, and, as Lemony Snicket might say, the person reading this might do better to read another, happier fanfic. But I'm not Lemony Snicket, so read on my friends!

Rating: PG-13 for a few scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not, never have, and will not own Yugioh and it's characters. Some of the info at the end is my personal opinion or what I interpreted from the show. Do not take my word on it.

* * * * *

Ryou woke up lying in a hospital bed, corporeal again, with several wires leading off his body to a collection of machines nearby. Tentatively, he tried to sit up, but fell again trying not to writhe in pain. His whole body screamed out in agony, pain shot up his legs and back down his back, his head felt like it would burst. Lying still again, he glanced around the room. Yugi was dozing next to the bed with Yami leaning against the wall behind him; Ryou could tell he was trying not to cry. Bakura was sleeping with his head by Ryou's hand; the boy was surprised that his yami hadn't roused when he'd moved. Speaking of moving…

Ryou groaned. Even breathing hurt. How long had he been here? Yugi was sleeping so peacefully Ryou didn't want to wake him. He relaxed and closed his eyes; somehow the agony was lessened when he was like that.

/Yami…/

No answer. Well, if Bakura was asleep, there was no reason to wake him. Ryou tried to move again, but this time the torture was so extreme that he cried out. So much for not waking anyone. Bakura groaned with displeasure as he slowly sat up; he had probably been having another dream about ruling the world. Yugi was quicker to wake; he jolted upright when he heard Ryou's yell and watched him anxiously. Yami had already been awake, but now he was looking at the boy with the same concern as his hikari.

"You finally awake?" Bakura drawled. "I was worried. How are you feeling?"

Whoa, now that was unexpected. Bakura said he was worried about his hikari. Bewildered, Ryou tried to signal that he was okay, but stopped abruptly as the torment became too much. Bakura twitched with worry as he saw Ryou's distress.

"Wh-where is Yo-shiko?" Ryou managed to gasp. Dread and sorrow emerged in his yami's eyes. Ryou stared at him fearfully. "She i-isn't-"

"No," Yugi answered for Bakura. "Yoshiko's still alive, but she's lucky. The doctors said she might not have lived any longer if we hadn't gotten her here when we did. She still may not make it." Tears formed in the other's eyes. "I'm sorry Ryou, none of this should have happened."

Ryou closed his eyes again, thinking about the girl that was now in the hospital because of him. He may never play with that silken lavender hair again; those captivating eyes may never sparkle with joy. It was because of him. Trying to ignore the agony, Ryou attempted to sit up but was pushed back down by both Yugi and Bakura.

"Stay down," the yami hissed, "you're not well enough to get up."

"I have to see her," Ryou whispered. "I have to tell her I'm sorry."

Ryou managed to sit up, which ached twice as much with two people pushing him back down, but had to focus all of his strength on staying there. His head swam with the increasing agony his body was using to ask him to lay down again. One leg over the side, two legs over, Bakura caught him as he fell backward.

"You've gotta help me walk, yami, please help me," he moaned as Bakura crawled up onto the bed behind him. He succeeded in sitting up again and tried to slide off the bed onto the floor, but his legs wouldn't support his weight. Yugi caught him in the front, Bakura in the back, and, using them as supports, Ryou cautiously stood up. Legs shaking, he took a step toward the door.

"Where is her room?" Ryou asked. He leaned heavily on Bakura and barely noticed where his legs were taking him. Opening the door, he was almost blinded by the brilliance of the white hallway beyond; he hadn't noticed how dark his room was. Bakura guided him down the hall to another room, opened that door, and helped him to the bed. The slow _beep, beep,_ of a machine was the only sound as Ryou looked down at the girl he'd hurt. The turquoise eyes were closed, and the pale purple hair was spread out upon the pillow. She looked so calm as she lay there, so beautiful, causing Ryou more pain in his heart than he thought possible. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking care not to sit on one of her hands, and fondled her hair, played with it, caressed her cheeks. He felt Bakura's spirit merge with his own for the first time so that they were both stroking her soft hair. Then, under no will of his own, though probably Bakura's and he didn't mind anyway, Ryou bent down and brushed his lips against hers. She stirred slightly under his kiss but didn't pull away and relaxed a little more. Fearing the worst, since his senses had long since filtered out the sounds of the room, he separated from her abruptly and jerked upright, which he soon regretted as pain lurched up his back, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before since Bakura had a higher pain tolerance the his host and they were merged. The eyes that had been closed stared up at him in sadness and confusion, but also in tranquillity and content, as if they knew what fate awaited them but happily welcomed it.

"Ryou?" she whispered. Ryou could see she was in as much or more pain than he had been at first, and she wasn't used to dealing with it.

"No," He heard himself say; it must be Bakura controlling his actions right now, he was just a passenger watching what happens, "both of us are here. You'll be okay, Yoshiko."

"Sorry Ryou, I've been defeated. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Good, I'm glad you're all right. I love you, Ryou Bakura. As long as you're okay, I'll be okay."

Uh-oh, she was using his last name, which either meant she knew for sure that she was talking to both him and Bakura, or she was sinking towards death very fast.

"I love you too, Yoshiko," he said softly as a tear rolled down his cheek. Ryou leaned over and kissed her again, longer and more elaborate this time and he lingered upon her lips even as the beeps in the room became one long, shrill, tragic note. Finally, he broke from their kiss, collapsed to the floor, and fell asleep sobbing with his head by her hand.

When Ryou awoke again, he was in his hospital bed, and his father was sitting nearby. Before Ryou could explain that they had to move back to Domino, though he wasn't going to say his other was ordered to go back there by a three-thousand year old Pharaoh, his father told him they would be leaving for their old home as soon as Ryou was well enough to leave the hospital.

"He was a very polite young man," Mr. Bakura had explained, "and he had a certain regal air about him. He told me there was nothing wrong in Domino, and reminded me that you'd never come to much harm there and look what happened now! Besides, you have good friends in Domino, and the only one you had here, well… Anyway, what he said made sense, and there was something about him that I couldn't refuse. He reminded a little of your friend Yugi; they must have been related."

A large "Welcome Back" party awaited Ryou when he got back to Domino, hosted by Yugi and Yami, and there were an assortment of people he hadn't expected to be their, or even for Yugi and Yami to invite. Seto Kaiba was there, much to his displeasure, and Ryou figured Mokuba had dragged his brother to the party. Marik made a grand appearance dressed up like his yami, which scared most of the other people there. Ishizu was present, as was Mai, and Joey brought his sister, who invited Duke Devlin, to Tristan's annoyance. But even though most of Ryou's friends were at the affair, one being was missing- Bakura. Ever since they had merged and Yoshiko had died, Bakura hadn't spoken to Ryou or tried to possess his body. In fact, the only way Ryou knew his yami was still there was when he went to comfort Bakura; then he was violently rejected. Ryou also had a feeling that the party was partially arranged so Yugi could make sure Ryou was all right.

"So, how did the doctors explain about Yoshiko?" Yugi asked.

"They said it was a 'freak accident'. To tell to truth, I don't think they had a clue what happened themselves."

"Well, it's better that way, isn't it? If we ever said what really happened, they'd think we're insane."

"In a way, we sort of are, or at least Bakura is. For us it's Multiple Personality Syndrome or something like that."

They stood around in silence watching the others dance and converse until, after a few moments, Yami asked, "How's Bakura doing?"

"He doesn't want to admit it, but he's a lot more hurt than I am," Ryou answered, rubbing a spot on his arm that was covered with a bandage. "He's been sulking around in the Ring, and anytime I try to talk to him, he pushes me away. He truly loved Yoshiko; I'm not sure he'll ever be the same. He's blaming himself for her death and the injuries I've suffered. I just hope Bakura doesn't leave."

* * * * *

What Ryou never figured out:

In Yoshiko's card reading, the card Possessed Dark Soul did not mean she would become evil or possessed. The picture shows a humanoid figure being consumed by flames, which represented death in a painful way. The monster's effect includes tributing it, which means sending it to the Graveyard, and sending something to the Graveyard usually means killing it. The card Dark Spirit of the Silent did not only refer to Bakura; it also referred to Yami. They are both yamis and they both stayed in hiding within their hikaris originally. In fact, the gang knew about Bakura before they knew about Yami. 


End file.
